New York Islanders sign Semyon Varlamov to four year deal

After seeing 2018-19 starter Robin Lehner leave for the Blackhawks, the New York Islanders quickly finalized a deal for long-time Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov. It’s a four-year deal worth $5 million annually.

After posting a career year, getting considerable Vezina recognition, and shouting out his teams ability to “think about the human first,” it seemed as if 27-year-old goalie Robin Lehner and the New York Islanders were on a reunion path.

Instead, the Isles passed up a chance to lock up Lehner long term in favor of signing veteran Russian goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year-deal that takes him into his age 35 season. Varlamov’s deal on the Island will be carrying a $5 Million cap hit, though he will likely be splitting the Long Island crease with fellow veteran Tomas Greiss in the short term.

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With up-and-down success throughout his career, Varlamov has posted seasons that have gained him Vezina votes, and some that have seen him fail to reach a .900 save percentage. After breaking into the NHL with the Washington Capitals, Varlamov’s best season came in 2013-14 with the Avalanche, when he posted a league-high 41 wins backed by a career-high .927 save percentage.

Varlamov has logged 389 of his 448 NHL games to date with Colorado. However, a return to the Avalanche seemed unlikely as the starting job was taken by German goaltender Philip Grubauer (ironically another former Capitals goalie) in the second half of the 2018-19 season before carrying his success into the NHL Playoffs.

His off the ice career has also had some polarizing moments, as he was accused of assault and battery by his then-girlfriend in 2013, though a jury sided with the goaltender in 2016, awarding him $126,000 in damages.

Islanders fans will be hoping they get more of the Varlamov they saw at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, as he opened the most recent campaign with a .926 save percentage across the opening two months of the season.

However, Grubauer took over the Avalanche’s starting role after Varlamov’s production fell off in the second half of the season, posting above a .900 save percentage only once following those first two months.

Overall, it would have been unreasonable to expect Lehner’s Vezina caliber season to be repeated in 2019-20, so Varlamov could very easily provide similar production next year. However, the four-year term for the 31-year-old (at the exact same AAV as Lehner’s reported deal in Chicago) could leave many questioning why the front office wouldn’t simply pay up to retain the incumbent.